Low
by Destany Mitchell
Summary: Mid season three fic, all in Tommy’s POV. Tom’s been back for months and Jude has yet to talk to him. Can they ever get past the night of her Album Release Party? Or are they doomed to eternal silence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **OK guys, new fic by yours truly. This one was written with the intent to be something like Better Than Me, but I'm not so sure now. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the fic.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. The lyrics posted are by Kelly Clarkson and from her song Low.

**Summary: **Mid season three fic, all in Tommy's POV. Tom's been back for months and Jude has yet to talk to him. Can they ever get past the night of her Album Release Party? Or are they doomed to eternal silence.

Comments are always appreciated.

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**Low  
****Part 1**

It's been two months since I returned to Toronto. It's been eight months since Jude had last said two words to me. Correction, that would be one word and that one word was her screaming my name as I left her on the street. The only interaction we have now is her icy glare shot my way and my seeming look of indifference. What she didn't know? Every time she glared at me, it slowly killed me. It's a stab in the heart; a full body pain that's going to eventually cripple me. I hate what I did to her, but it had to be done. I hate I broke her heart and I more than hate that I messed up the best thing that's ever happened to me. Too bad I didn't realize it sooner. Too bad I was too blind to see what I was doing before it was too late.

Strange how distance can give you a whole new outlook on your life. While in Montana, it hit me one day when I was…what the hell was I doing? Not that it matters what I was doing, but it hit me like a load of bricks. Like a semi-truck running into you at 80 kilometers an hour. No…probably more like a speeding 500 cart-passenger-train. Pick your favorite analogy, but it was suddenly crystal clear. I'm in love with Jude Harrison.

And she hates my guts.

Again.

Rightly so, I suppose.

Again.

This time is worst than in the past. She won't even acknowledge my presence. It's like I don't exist in her world. She comes to work, with my best friend mind you, and leaves. She doesn't linger in the lobby. She doesn't laugh. She doesn't smile. She's all business and when she's done, she's gone.

In a way, it's a relief she's working with Kwest. It's an excuse for me to avoid her. It's an excuse to not have to see what she's become. To see the shell of the woman she used to be. But at the same time…I miss the fire. I miss the chemistry between us that made her music great. I miss the late nights, the sound of her laughter, her intoxicating presence and her vanilla perfume. I miss the arguments; I miss the way her eyes would light up when I entered a room. Most of all, I miss her.

I messed up. I messed up so badly I'm not even sure it's calculable. I'm not even sure if it's fixable. And it feels like it's too late. That nothing I can even attempt to do can ever make up for it. And it hurts. It kills. I hate knowing that I willingly threw away everything that mattered. And for what? A family who didn't give two shits less for me? A life I left behind when I was 16? Parents who couldn't care less what happened to me as long as a check still came made out to them every month?

What the hell was I thinking?

I sighed heavily and shook my head to clear my thoughts. _Dangerous path Quincy_ I told myself as I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock on my desk. Everyone had long since left and gone home. It was my night to close up the studio and I was more than just a little behind in paperwork. I was so behind, the auditors were clawing at my office door for reports from the last fiscal period. OK, maybe it wasn't that bad, but it was pretty close.

I stifled a yawn and stretched back in my chair. It was well after 2 am and I was three hours past exhausted. This was going to have to wait for another day and Darius would just have to deal with it and Liam could shove it for all I cared. Personally, they both needed to get laid and loosen up, but what do I know about those things?

I saved what little bit of the document I finished and shut down the computer. I cleaned some stuff off my desk and grabbed my keys and shut the light off and locked my office behind me.

As I walked through G Major, I shut off the remaining lights and froze when I made it to the lobby. There was a single light shining from the studio. My studio. I frowned. I distinctly remember shutting that off hours ago. In fact, I know I did. I remember shutting down the soundboard around 10 to work on paperwork. Not much paperwork got done, but still.

I frowned and walked towards the studio. Either I'm going senile (which could be possible) or someone was in the building.

I sighed to myself, hoping it wasn't some stupid kid on the street deciding to have a good time and break something. Seriously, Darius would kill me. I've heard of instances happening in the past and I really didn't want to deal with a police report. It was 2-freaking-45 in the morning. All I wanted was my bed and blissful sleep.

I stalked towards Studio A and froze in the doorway. It wasn't some stupid kid on the street in the studio, it was Jude. _What is she doing here_? I thought, but was stopped when I heard her guitar play a sad melody. I moved away from the doorway so she wouldn't see me and listened to what she was playing. I know it's technically spying, but I wanted to know what she was singing about in the studio at nearly 3 am. The nice thing about Jude's songs? They always reflect how she's feeling.

"_Have you ever been low?  
__Have you ever had a friend that let you down so,  
__When the truth came out,  
__Were you the last to know?  
__Where you left out in the cold?  
__Cuz_ _what you did was low…" _

Jude kept playing and her melody stopped; assumingly to write down what she had sang and worked out in her lyric book. I winced as the meaning of her lyrics sank in and the words played over in my head. There was a deep pain in her voice. A pain I'd never heard before and believe me when I say I thought I'd heard Jude's full range of vocals…well, near all. Point being, she's only sang one song that came close to the raw pain she was expressing now and that was during her Under The Mic performance for Skin. Never had I ever hear her come close to that again.

Until now.

My thoughts ended when Jude picked up her guitar and started to play again. I winced at the sound of her notes.

"Your G's flat." I stated quietly, stepping into the door jam.

As soon as I spoke, Jude stopped strumming and turned to look at me. Sure enough, glare in place. But there was something behind it. _Had she been crying_?

"My G's are fine." She argued, turning away and strumming again, as if to prove a point. It took me everything I had not to make a comment about her "G's". It wouldn't get me anywhere except further into the dog house and I didn't need help in that department.

"You're still slightly flat." I informed her and she stopped. She set her guitar down and turned to face me, her lips pursed in annoyance and I had to resist the urge to kiss her full, slightly pouty lips.

"I didn't ask you." She informed me, hands landing on her hips.

"Call it professional advice."

"I don't need _you_ Quincy." She snapped and I couldn't hold back the wince. That hurt. That hurt more than I ever thought possible. I think those few words hurt more than her silence. "What are you doing here anyway?" She asked, moving her arms to fold over her chest.

"I could ask you the same thing." I pointed out and she scoffed and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Last time I checked, artists didn't have keys. Wonder if the cameras caught a breaking and entering?" I pondered out loud and turned to leave.

"You don't get to pretend like nothing happened." Her voice sounded small and weak. Not the voice of the girl I once knew. I sighed and didn't turn around. "You don't get to pretend you didn't break my heart." She whispered and I turned around to look at her.

"Jude-"

"NO!" She snapped, tears starting to fall from her eyes and she wiped violently at them, as if angry for her body's reaction to her emotions. I wanted to comfort her and turn the clock back eight months and do things over. But I couldn't. No matter how hard I wanted to, I couldn't.

I took a step forward and Jude stepped back and I didn't try again.

"Jude, I"

"You didn't answer my question." She stated, sniffing slightly and changing the subject. Fine. If she wants to play it that way, that was fine.

"My night to close. I was trying to get caught up on some paperwork and saw the light on when I called it quits. You?" I asked and she sighed and sank down in her chair and looked down at the floor.

I knew something happened to her. I knew something wasn't right in her life. I could feel it and I wanted nothing more than for her to be ok. I could handle her being mad at me if she was at least, otherwise, okay.

"Jude, you can talk to me." I said carefully, trying to urge her to tell me.

"No, no I can't." She said, her voice breaking like she was going to cry. I stepped closer to her and this time, she didn't move away.

"Yes you can."

She shook her head no and I kneeled down before her. She kept her head down, her blonde hair falling like a curtain around her face.

"I can't keep doing this." She whispered, not meeting my eyes.

"Doing what?" I asked and she snapped her head up and looked me straight in the eyes.

"This!" She yelled, gesturing between us. "Every time I start to fall for you, you turn around and crush me. I can't…" She looked away from me and took a deep breath before looking back into my eyes. "Don't you understand that I _need_ to hate you right now?"

I looked away from her gaze and down at the floor. Her words stung, but I was getting her message loud and clear.

"If I…If I talk to you and if you comfort me, then it's possible I'll fall for you again and things will go great for awhile until one of us does something stupid and the same sick cycle of hurting each other happens again." She said, her voice filled with emotion. "I can't do this again Tommy."

Her voice was pleading with me and I could hear each emotion in her voice. I could hear her heartbreak, her fear, and her love.

"I never meant to hurt you." I told her, looking up into her eyes, meaning the words more than I ever did before.

"But you did it anyway." She told me, and I couldn't say anything to defend myself. She was right. I knew it, she knew it, hell, the whole god-damned world probably knew it. She sighed and got up and moved away from me.

"Jude,"

"Don't." She told me, so strongly I couldn't continue with what I was going to say. I watched her as she packed up her guitar and she took one last glance at me before she picked up her guitar and brushed past me.

"You weren't the last to know." I blurted out softly and she froze in her tracks a moment. I watched her, hopefully, for a moment I almost thought she was going to turn around.

"Goodbye Tom." She said and left the studio, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she left. I watched her go and sat back so my back was against the wall. I felt tears sting my eyes at the reality of the situation.

I lost her.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling, shaking my head slightly. I lost her and I wasn't going to be able to get her back. I took a shuddering breath to get my emotions under control and felt a couple tears escape my eyes.

This couldn't be happening.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I know, it's been forever! But I "lost" my notebook with the rough draft for this and then I got mad at the fic because I lost 2/3 of it and banished it to back of the update pile. I actually found it the other day when I was in my IOP class. Needless to say, I didn't pay attention to the lecture that day! LOL! Anyway, I have to warn, Towards the end of this segment, it gets a bit higher rated for a bit. Also want to warn, Jude comes off as a bit of a bitch in this segment, but it needs to happen for reasons only I know, lol! Plus it's kind of understandable, given her situation, but you'll see. Anyway, I hope you guys aren't disappointed.

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**Low  
****Part 2  
****Three Days Later**

I sat in Studio A, headphones on, music blaring in my ears. There was something missing to this song and I wasn't able to pinpoint what it was. Something was off, something just wasn't working for me. I sighed and adjusted a couple levels on the soundboard, trying to figure out where the problem was.

I closed my eyes to drown out other stimulus and allowed myself to focus completely on the task at hand. Music overwhelmed my senses and made me feel more at peace than I have felt in longer than I could remember. Music always did that for me. It's always been my comfort; my outlet. I'm happiest when I'm in the studio, working on a new track, than anywhere else in the world. Especially when Jude was around.

I felt something tap my shoulder and I jumped, eyes snapping open, not expecting the sudden intrusion. I felt my heart rate quicken as I knocked the headphones off my head and spun the chair around to see Sadie standing just to the left and behind me.

"Jesus!" I yelled, taking a deep breath to get my breathing back to normal.

"Sorry," She said, her voice slightly apologetic but she looked determined.

I felt my heart start to pick up a normal rhythm and from the look in her eyes, this was going to be a longer conversation. I reached behind me and turned the volume down a bit so I could hear her better. As I did this, I watched Sadie out of the corner of my eye. She was shifting nervously and it caused me to frown. Sadie was never nervous. She didn't fidget.

"Have you…have you seen Jude at all?" She asked me, her gaze pleading and twinged with a bit of hope.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Jude and I don't really cross paths." I told her. Which was true, for the most part. But come to think of it, I hadn't seen…nor heard her since the other night in the studio.

"Tommy, please." She stressed, tears starting to sting her eyes. This was definitely serious and I felt my own panic start to rise. If Sadie was this worried…

"Sadie, I'm sorry, I really am, but I haven't seen, or heard from, her in three days."

"She, she hasn't been home." Sadie told me, crossing her arms around herself. "I just…I thought that maybe…I don't know." She said, looking upset.

"Did you check with Mason?" I asked and Sadie nodded.

"Mason, Patsy, Jamie, SME, even Kat. No one has seen her. Not even Kwest."

I frowned at that bit. Jude never stayed away from the studio. If anything, she lived here more than I did; and that was saying something. It definitely wasn't like her to skip studio time.

"I don't know Sadie. I'm the least person that"

"You know her the best." Sadie challenged. I wanted to argue that point. I wanted to open my mouth and say no, you're wrong. But I couldn't. deep down, I know Sadie is right. "If anyone would know where she went, it'd be you." She finished, giving me a hopeful look.

I looked away with a sigh. I could think of a few places off the top of my head, and that just proved Sadie's point.

"Please, Tom." Sadie pleaded and I sighed and looked up at her. Her eyes were pleading with me to find her sister. Part of me knew that I owed Sadie that much.

"I might know of a few places," I said and Sadie visibly relaxed. "I'll check 'em out later." I told her, knowing darn good and well that if this track wasn't finished tonight, Darius would have my head on a platter. Sadie's eyes narrowed considerably, apparently not happy with my words.

"My sister has been missing for a couple of days, and all you can say is _later_?!" She yelled, her voice raising several octaves and came out practically a screech. I winced at the volume.

"Fine. Tell D I left for lunch early." I turned my chair back to the soundboard and pulled the headphones off from around my neck. I set them down on the headboard and began flicking different switches to save the work combinations and shut it down.

"Thank you," Sadie's voice came and I turned my head to face her.

"Don't thank me yet."

Sadie didn't respond and turned towards the door. She paused a moment in the doorway.

"Call me when you find her?"

I nodded an agreement and she was gone. I sighed again and worked my keys out of my jeans and left studio a, shutting off the lights behind me.

As I walked through the lobby, I flipped my cell open and hit speed dial one. The phone rang as I walked out to my car and went to voicemail after several rings.

"Hey this is Jude. Leave me a message and I might get back to you," the message said. Apparently, she changed her message from the last time I called her. As I left a message, I hit the remote unlock for my car and got inside.

"Hey Jude, it's me. I know you probably won't call me back, but everyone's worried about you. Just…call someone and let them know you're ok."

I tossed the phone on the passenger seat and sighed. _Where to first_? I wondered as I stuck the key in the ignition and turned.

After a good three hours of looking for Jude, I was officially calling it quits. Trying to find a seventeen-year-old rockstar who didn't want to be found is the equivalent of a needle in a haystack. Only the haystack is as large as Toronto and the needle is the size of a micro-meter. Why Sadie chose me for the job? I still don't have a solid clue. Apparently Sadie-logic is deeply flawed and I'll be sure to keep that to myself for fear of being ripped apart.

I closed the door to Jude's Studio behind me and headed towards the elevator. As I stepped in and the doors closed behind me, I was hit with an idea.

_The Chrome Cat_.

Can't be that simple, I told myself. But as I went to hit the ground floor button, my finger landed on the number two. I sighed. Damn subconscious.

The elevator rattled and groaned on the way down and I was beginning to have mental scenarios that would come from a Final Destination movie before it stopped with a lurch and doors opened. I swear one day someone is going to either get stuck in there or the cords are going to break and that someone will plummet to an early grave. I hope that someone isn't Jude.

I exited the elevator and paused in the hallway, trying to remember how I found the Cat in the first place. I started walking the route and rounded the corner and saw the familiar rusting, blue, steel door, still on the hinges and door handle in place. As I approached it, I examined the handle and noted the fact it was secured in place.

_No getting stuck this time_, I thought as I opened the door and glanced inside. The couch was turned and facing the opposite direction. I could hear an acoustic guitar playing and the buzz of the electricity. I sighed and let the door close behind me with a loud bang, alerting Jude of a presence.

The melody stopped and Jude suddenly appeared from over the top of the couch. She threw her arms up in exasperation and sat back down at the couch. _Yeah, hello to you too_, I thought.

"Go away Quincy." She told me.

"Good to see your manners are still intact." I told her sarcastically, walking further into the room and closer to her.

Jude didn't respond. She just started playing again. I sighed and crossed the room and sat down opposite of her, listening to her play. Jude's jaw was clenched, as if determined to ignore my presence. Every-once-in-awhile, her eyes would dart in my direction and then back down at her guitar again. After several chord progressions, she stopped and stared at me.

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" She demanded.

"The part where I go." I told her and she rolled her eyes. "Jude-"

"Get out, Tommy." She whispered. "I want to be alone." She finished. I sighed.

"Jude, just"

"Tommy, please," She said, closing her eyes, as if it pained her to look at me. Truth is, it probably did. Just the thought alone was enough to make me leave her alone.

But I couldn't. I promised Sadie I'd find her. Granted, I did, but it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to know why she took off. I wanted to help her. I sighed to myself and studied her a long moment. At first glance, she seemed fine, just like herself. But upon closer examination, the way her shoulders sagged over her guitar, the way her cheeks were slightly puffy, her dirty hair, and blood shot eyes were all tell-tale signs something was definitely not right in Jude-land. And I wanted to know what it was.

"Sadie's worried about you." I finally said, watching her carefully as I said it. Jude just scoffed. "She begged me to come find you."

"So, what? You found me." She snapped, looking up at me, fire burning in her eyes. "What now?" She demanded. "You going to make me go home? Hu,Tommy? You going to make me be a good girl and"

"Jude, we've all been worried. It's not like you to just"

"Go to hell Quincy." She snarled. I couldn't help but balk at the comment. _Where did that come from_? I wondered and she continued on her tirade. "If you were _so worried_ about me, you would have explained to me, you would have answered one of my hundreds of calls, you would've had the decency not leave me in the middle of the street with only a 'I might not be coming back' and a non-chalant 'bye'. You wouldn't have broke my heart and expected me to welcome you back with open arms. You wouldn't have thrown me away like I was _nothing_. Especially when" Her voice broke and she looked away from me.

I was stunned. I know everything she said was true, but it never really hit me how much I hurt her by leaving until that moment. I had ideas, but they were vague compared to this. _What have I done_? I wondered. I wanted to say something, to refute. To tell her how much I cared about her. How much I still care about her. How much it hurt me to leave her…but I couldn't. It didn't seem to matter. It seemed pointless to try and make excuses for myself. I closed my eyes and tried to make sense of everything.

"Jude-"

"Just…just go." She said, her voice in such a small tone that I knew I had broken her more than anyone. She hadn't been this hurt with Shay broke up with her. I don't even think she was this broken when she caught her father having an affair. It killed me to know that I had that much power over her.

I got up from my seat and walked to the door. It was the least I could do for her, and I paused before I left.

"Call Sadie. Let her know you're ok. I'll say I didn't find you." I told her and she gave no response. I sighed and fought back my own tears as my hand touched the cool handle on the door. I pulled it down and started to open it when I froze. I heard the soft sound of her sobs and it broke my heart to know I had caused her that much pain.

I pulled the door open further and started out.

"T-t-tommy?"

I froze in my tracks at the sound of her voice.

"Help me." She barely whispered and I turned around to look back at her. She was sitting up and looking back at me, tears falling down her face and her eyes so full of pain and helplessness. I stepped back into the room and let the door close on it's own.

"Jude, what" Before I could finish my thought, she had gotten up from her spot on the couch and had her arms wrapped around me and was sobbing into my shoulder. I was stunned. Floored. And all around confused. She couldn't wait to get rid of me before…and now…?

My arms circled around her and pulled her close, my left hand stroking her back in calming circles. Her body shook with her sobs and I could feel her thinness through her shirt. She was a small girl, but she wasn't healthly thin anymore. Her hands gripped me to her, as if she was afraid I was going to leave again. I found myself murmuring words of comfort to her and marveling at the feel of her in my arms, of the way she smelt like vanilla and Dove soap. A scent I could never get enough of.

Her sobs began to subside and she stood, sniffling in my arms, and I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Any other girl, I would have fled the scene and went to the florist and ordered a beautiful arrangement and wrote something beautiful for her. But not Jude.

Jude pulled back slightly and looked into my eyes, searching for something I vaguely knew anything about. A couple tears fell from her eyes and I reached up and wiped them away with my thumbs. Jude's eyes fluttered close and I took it as a sign. I lay my palms flat against her cheeks and started to caress with my finger tips, the soft and velvety skin feeling like silk beneath my guitar-calloused fingers.

Jude's eyes fluttered back open, to look at me, and I stopped my caress under the intensity of her eyes.

"Tommy?" She whispered, her voice shaking and I wasn't completely sure if it was from being upset anymore.

Silence fell over us and I resisted the urge to kiss her soft lips. To pull her close and steal her breath until we were both dizzy from the lack of oxygen. But I couldn't, and if I did, she'd only get more –

My thoughts were abruptly ended when Jude's hands moved to the back of my neck, her fingers sliding through my hair and gently massaging my scalp. I held back a moan with great difficulty and then, her soft, pouty lips were on mine.

Shock of a lifetime?

Yes.

Was I complaining?

Hell no.

It completely registered in my brain that she was kissing me, and not just kissing me either; her mouth was conveying need to mine by the amount of pressure she gave. Her hands pulled my mouth closer to her and I could have died a happy man; in more ways than one.

I moved my hands down her sides and simultaneously met her demands with my own. She moaned deep in her throat and I felt the boys grow hard. My hands stopped around her hips and pulled her closer to me, wanting nothing more than to lay her down on the couch and have my way with her; to rip her clothes off and kiss those small, lush breasts and hear her scream as she came…God just the thought made me grow harder still.

I ran my tongue across her lower lip, asking her for entrance. She obliged and parted her lips for me. I caressed my tongue with my own and committed her taste to memory – coffee and a hint of mint – and explored the contours of her wet, hot mouth. My hands began to roam over her body, memorizing the curves and plains over her sweatshirt. My lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen, but I couldn't bring myself to pull away for a much needed breath. Her kiss is better than alcohol and a million times more addicting.

I felt her stiffen suddenly beneath my hands. _Shit_, I thought as I pulled abruptly away. Jude let out a noise of protest and leaned in to kiss me again, despite the fact we were both panting for breath. As much as I wanted to loose myself in her, I knew what the sudden stiffing meant. It was a 'no' or a sudden uncertainty and I refuse to be that guy. The one that took advantage of a girl in a mood.

"Tommy?" She breathed out and the way she sighed out my name like that made me grow even harder. If she kept that up, I wouldn't be able to remain a gentleman. _God this girl drove me crazy_.

I lowered my hands from around her and stepped back a couple of steps from her. Her eyes narrowed into a frown and followed by a look of questioning; a look only a woman could pull off. A frown and a question. I mean, how the hell do they do that? Ask and disapprove all at the same time?!

"I know how to tell a 'no' Jude."

"Hu?"

"You stiffened." I explained and she rolled her eyes.

"Tommy, kiss me or get out." She said sternly and I couldn't hide my look of surprise. Five years ago, heck…maybe even five minutes ago, if she would have said that, and gave me that look at the same time, and used that tone, I would have thrown her down on the couch and ravish her senseless. And now…I hesitate. Something wasn't all right here.

She sighed heavily.

"Jude, I'm not going to take advantage of-"

"Tommy, how stupid can you be?" She demanded. "I'm asking for it!"

Maybe I was reading too much into this…

Jude sighed again, turned around, and promptly lifted her shirt. I couldn't do anything but stare. I was mesmerized by her pale, flawless skin that stretched across her back. It looks so smooth that I _really_ wanted to stroke it, to make her purr-

"See? Your hand pressed against the bruise and it hurt." She explained.

_Bruise_?_ What bruise_? My eyes traveled over her back and landed on the dark purple and blue spot that marred her, otherwise flawless lower-back. It was just above her the hem of her jeans and covered probably about a two inch area.

Jude lowered her shirt, much to my disappointment, and turned around to face me, arms crossing over her chest. I really wish she'd take that shirt off. I had plans forming in my brain for her…I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. _Don't go there Tom_, I scolded myself.

"What happened?" I managed to ask, feeling mildly concerned…ok, trying to feel concerned. I still wanted to hear her scream and hear what her voice would sound like screaming my name as she…_Stop it_!

"I ran into a wall." She muttered and I frowned. My brain, surprisingly, switched gears and started calculating the probability of that happening. The amount of force that would have to be involved and the angle…no. Placement was off and, even if it did happen, the size and color indicates more force than walking into something. It couldn't have happened like that. There had to be more to the story.

"Jude, you know you can talk to me, right?" I asked, and she snapped her head up to look at me.

"You think I'm lying, Quincy?" Great, I pissed her off.

"I just think that"

"Because, you're one to talk." She snapped, her eyes getting fire-y again. I sighed. I guess the chances of great sex with Jude just flew out the window. Another cold shower for me. _Happy joy_.

"Jude, I"

"Go! Just…go." She said, turning away from me.

OK, now I'm pissed. I might be a player, but damn it, even I do not treat my cast offs like that.

"You know, I'm not just some…call-guy." I ranted. She turned around, a smirk on her face.

"Close enough." She said sweetly. That hurt. I glared at her and left the room, slamming the metal door behind me. I was going to feel that one tomorrow, but I didn't care.

As I stormed down the hallway, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed.

"Sadie? Yeah. I found her."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **OK, BS Fans, the next update will be for that one. It'll probably take me a couple of days to do it because, if it goes as planned, it's going to be relatively long. I hope you enjoy this update to low, it's relatively shorter than the rest of the updates, but the next one will be long and features the Song it's based off of and an old favorite.

* * *

**Low  
****Part 3**

I sat outside, leaning against my Porche's hood and twirling my keys around my finger in boredom. Sadie was on her way over to, well, do whatever it was Sadie was going to do and she demanded I stay put until she got here.

I sighed and closed my eyes, replaying the incident in my mind over again. Maybe I was making something out of nothing. Despite the fact, my instincts screamed that something was wrong; something that Jude wasn't tell me; telling anyone.

I glanced up when I heard a car pull in and instantly recognized Sadie's dark blue Volkswagon Beetle. I sighed again and caught my keys in my hand midswing as Sadie pulled up next to me.

I rightened myself as she stepped out of her car and stepped infront of me, arms crossed over her chest.

"She hasn't been in her studio space." Sadie told me and I couldn't help but smirk.

"I know."

"Then why are we here?!" She demanded.

"Just because she's not in _her_ space, doesn't mean she's not _here_." I stated as Sadie raised an eyebrow in questioning and shifted her weight slightly, definitely interested in what I had to say.

"So, where is she?" Sadie asked.

"The space right below hers." Sadie looked confused.

"Why would she be in the place _below_ hers? Doesn't it belong to someone else?!" She demanded. I shrugged in response. I honestly didn't know who it belonged to, but something told me it wasn't an anonymous person anymore. Sadie's eyes narrowed as she gave me a critical look. "OH no Quincy! You don't get away with this so easily."

"What did I do?" I demanded. "You told me to find her and I found her. End of story." Sadie, apparently, wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"How did you know to look in another space?"

"Call it a hunch?" I offered and she shot me a glare.

"Tom!" She snapped. I sighed in defeat.

"Remember Jude's Birthday last year?" Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sitting at Caveman Days with Speed and Jamie all night; how could I forget?" She asked and I winced. I did not envy her at all for that night. I would have killed myself with own hands if I had been stuck there.

"Jude and I got locked in that space until Jamie and Speed showed up."

"How did you"

"I got lost." I stated simply, shrugging. Sadie's eyes narrowed, as if trying to figure out something.

"She hated you…" She said slowly, and I wanted to run into my car and drive away. I did not like where Sadie was going with this. "And after that night…" She frowned and hit me hard on the arm.

"Ow!" I protested and rubbed my arm. Sadie can pack a good punch. "What did I do?"

"What happened that night?!" She demanded.

"Wait, you're saying that this is _my_ fault?!"

"It's always your fault when it comes to Jude!" I swear Sadie wasthisclose to adding 'dumb ass' at the end of that. I sighed and threw up my arms in exasperation.

"Don't ask me to psychoanalyze Jude." Sadie looked impressed. Damn it! Why does everyone think I'm an idiot just because I got kicked out of school before 8th grade?! "I found her, she verbally assaulted me, I called you."

"You deserved it."

I rolled my eyes. So glad we're mature here.

"And now you're here to do…whatever it is that you're going to do, and _I_ am going back to the studio, to finish my job." I told her, shouldering past her to unlock my car.

"You can't leave yet!" She demanded.

"I have a deadline to meet by seven tonight or Darius is going to kill me." I stated, opening the door and sliding into the seat.

"Tom!" Sadie protested.

"Goodbye Sadie!" I called before closing the door and locking it for good measure. The last thing I needed was Sadie shimmying into the passenger seat and giving me more hell about whatever it is she decides is the topic of the day. Sadie glared at me as I started the car and backed out of my parking spot and peeled out of the lot. I sighed and drove back to G Major, trying to get Jude out of my head.

_**- - - - - - - - - - - - -**_

And…Finished!

I smiled to myself as I pulled the headphones off my head and set them down on the soundboard. I ejected the disk and pulled out a marker to write the track info down on it. After I had the disk safely in a case, I began the process of shutting down the boards.

I glanced at the clock momentarily and was proud to see I still had 15 minutes before Darius would kill me. I turned back to the boards and picked up my notes when I felt something bounce off the back of my head. It didn't hurt, not even the slightest, but it annoyed the hell out of me.

"Hey!" I yelled as I spun around. Leaning in the doorway was Jude Harrison, her hands crossed over her chest and her eyes as angry as a Tom-Cat thrown into a sink-full of water.

I sighed and turned away from her to continue gathering my things. As I moved, I caught a glance of an eraser on the floor. Apparently, that was the object Jude decided to hit me with. At least it was a book or a knife or something. Progress.

"What happened to I'm not gonna tell?" She demanded, stepping into the studio. I sighed and didn't look over at her.

"Can we do this later?" I gestured to the boards I was trying to pick up. "I've got a meeting with Darius in…10 minutes." I began peeling a piece of marking tape off the boards and glanced back at Jude. Apparently, she wasn't happy with my answer. Her eyes were narrowed into slits and her face flushed with anger. Great.

"Look, Jude, I'm sorry I pissed you off, but"

"But what?" She demanded and I sighed. "Hu Tom? You know what's best for me?" She asked, her hands slinking to her hips.

"I never claimed to know what's best for you." I stated, turning my interest away from the boards and giving her my full attention.

"Right," She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Little Tommy Q has _never_ tried to bestow his wisdom on the young and impressionable mind of one Jude Harrison."

Where the hell did she come up with this? Bestow? Who uses Bestow? The last time I heard Bestow used was…erm…never. But that's beside the point! Jude doesn't use words like bestow and impressionable. Hell, we had to sit with a thesaurus open for some of her songs!

"What?" I managed to say and she smirked in response.

"Everyone has been worried about you." I told her, changing the subject. "And clearly, something is going on with you"

Jude rolled her eyes dramatically, getting the whole body into the movement.

"Right, just cuz I'm clumsy and ran into a wall indicates something is seriously wrong with me." Jude stated.

"No, you're lying about"

"Sure, whatever, Quincy." She said, her voice not as strong and sharp as it was two seconds ago and her arms crossed over her chest defensively. See? I knew she was lying.

We stood in silence for a long moment, just watching each other. I couldn't help but wonder: what happened to _my_ Jude?


End file.
